Today, the coming of AI and Robotics has brought about a wave of innovational showers in different sectors of the modern economy. In recent time, AI and Robotics are creating exciting tech tools, products, and machines that solve basic human problems in record speed time while expending very minimal operational costs. The good thing, is the fact that a handful of these Agricultural AI and Robotic inventions, backed by Machine Learning and Generative Programing, are currently been applied in Agriculture in many developed economies, in order to boost Agricultural harvest and end food insecurity.
Key Takeaways
- AI and Robotics bringing about the development of innovative tools and machines that solves basic human needs including Agriculture
- The AI generative tools alongside Robotics currently applied in Agriculture thereby boosting crop production and putting an end to food insecurity in the World Today.
- How Africa can leverage these Modern applications of AI and Robotics to boost total Agricultural output in Africa
- Potential Challenges Africa will face in adopting AI and Robotics for Agricultural practices.
The World today is in a crazy AI race with global economies, investors and organizations throwing in billions of Dollars into different formats of AI and Robotic development programs. This rush in AI and Robotic development investment has ultimately triggered the invention of many exciting Tech products, tools and Robotic Machines that solve basic human issues using Automated programming minimal operational costs.
Today, AI and Robotic inventions have also been developed to solve Agricultural food issues and Africa too must quickly adapt some of these inventions to speed up Agricultural growth in the continent. Today Robotic Machines are currently deployed for Seed planting, Drones deployed for Pesticide control and Humanoid Robots deployed for Agricultural activities like grass cutting, farming, AI Optical Surveillance, harvesting etc.
These AI and Robotic applications, tools and machine products come with great benefits that includes precision, speed, and sustainability. By handling laborious and time-consuming Agricultural tasks, it saves up time for humans to handle other Agricultural Activities. Furthermore, AI and Robotic applications in Agriculture could be used to boost food security for countries battling with food shortage and worker shortage due to Aging population.
How is AI and Robotics Currently Been Applied in Agriculture?
-Seed Planting Robots: Today, Seed Planting Robots have been developed and they are raising eyebrows in different parts of the world today. These Seed Plating Robots can plant up to 20,000 Agricultural crop seeds in 24hrs, a task which would take a human a much longer time to achieve.
-Drones for Pesticide Application: In Agriculture today, Drones have be specially developed for Agricultural Pesticide and Fertilizer Applications. These Modern drones are strapped with liquid pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Using special digital controls, these modern drones apply these agricultural chemicals fast, efficiently and effectively to crops thereby eliminating pests and boosting Agricultural crop yields.
-AI for Optical 3D Crop monitoring harvesting: Today, Optical 3D Artificial Intelligence surveillance is currently been applied in agricultural crop monitoring and harvesting. Presently, farmers in Texas are using AI led tools in Animal Cattle Farming to determine important animal welfare times. AI tools are also currently used to detect fast outbreak of diseases, monitor plant health and identify crops that are ripe for harvesting.
-Humanoid Robots for Agricultural Labor work: Today, Humanoid Robots have been developed that can effectively carry out Agriculture works such as grass cutting, making of seed bed, transplanting and harvesting. These Humanoid Robots can efficiently and effectively carry out an Agricultural activity that will take a human 8 hours to complete in just under 2 hours making them very ideal for both subsistence and large scale commercial Agricultural farmers. The best part is, these humanoid robots only need to be recharged by electricity to function expertly while carrying out periodic maintenance to prolong the Robots efficiency and longevity.
How will AI and Robotics impact on Agriculture in Africa?
Ensuring Food Security: AI and Robotics if carefully applied in African Agriculture, will yield a wide range of good benefits for Africa. Today, Africa is suffering from huge food insecurity and agricultural food shortage reported to stand at…. With AI and Robotics fully deployed in Agriculture, farmers could reap Mega Agricultural returns while minimizing expenses. This in turn would create the availability of food at very minimal low cost thereby ensuring food sufficiency for countries in Africa.
Minimizing Post Harvest Loses: Africa is seriously suffering from post harvest agricultural losses caused by a handful of issues such as Lack of proper harvest Knowledge, Lack of Cold Storage Facilities, and Pest attacks. For example at Ushongo Local Government area of Benue State, Central Region of Nigeria, there is a high prevalence of spoilt and rotten oranges. These abundancy in rotten oranges, emanate from issues such as pest attacks and improper harvest times. With AI and Robotics, these high number post harvest losses of oranges could be reduced to the barest minimum.
What are the Challenges Facing AI and Robotic Deployment in Africa
-Power: Many parts of the African Continent today are suffering with epileptic power supply. These inconsistent power supply could greatly affect Africa as AI and Robotic systems require consistent power in their operations.
-Adaptability to the African Agricultural Context: AI and Robotics might encounter difficulties in Adapting to African Cultural Agricultural methods. This comes as different countries in Africa carry out Agriculture, each in his or her own unique way. Going by this, AI and Robots might require specialized additional training before deployed for special and other specific Agricultural crop activities in Africa.
-Lack of Proper Technical Know-how on AI and Robotics: Presently, Africa falls behind in terms of the development of homegrown Agricultural AI and Robotic tools. This means that Africa will fall behind in terms of AI and Robotic use in Agriculture as the continent will surely struggle to assemble Tech brains that can lead the development and application of AI and Robotics in Agriculture.
-Availability of Robot Spare Parts: Africa may struggle in accessing high number of Robotic parts to replace faulty Robot parts. This comes as the continent will depend heavily on imported Robot parts meaning that commercial suppliers of Robotic parts are surely going to be few in number.
What Must Africa Do to Advance the Introduction of AI and Robotics in the Continent ?
-Increase Power Generation: African countries must hurriedly invest in sustainable power generation sources thereby Boosting the countries power generation capacity and total power supply. This comes as AI and Robotics require proper consistent power supply that keeps AI Data Centers and Robotic Machines constantly running.
-Create AI and Robotics Training Institutions: Africa must hurriedly setup AI and Robotics training institutions where young tech savvy Africans can receive adequate training on the development, deployment, Control and Application of AI and Robotics in Agriculture in Africa.
-Introduction of Subsidies for AI and Robotics Agricultural Development Companies: African Governments, should introduce AI and Robotics subsidies for companies wishing to deploy AI and Robotics for Mass Agricultural farm schemes. This comes as deployment of AI and Robotics in Agriculture could come with huge costs which might be cumbersome for small/medium Agricultural organizations, associations, cooperatives and bodies.
-Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreements with foreign Agricultural Robotic Manufacturing firms: Africa must quickly sign Public Private Partnership agreement to setup AI and Robotic Manufacturing hubs and training institutes in African countries thereby speeding the development & deployment of AI and Robotics in agriculture in the African Continent.
The world today is in a Tech race. African countries have been thrown a huge task: Adapt, develop and deploy or become a consumer of foreign technology. This is a wake up call for all countries In Africa. Governments across the entire Black Continent, must quickly apply measures that advances homegrown AI and Robotic development, & deployment in the continent. By doing this, Africa too can tap into the projected $4.7 trillion global humanoid revenue by 2050 which Analysts estimate global humanoid adoption will accelerate and reach roughly 1 billion units by 2050.
African Governments must give priority to Technology based solutions and creating platforms that helps AI and Robotics successfully develop in their individual countries. By doing this, AI and Robotic cross-country synergies will be formed across African nations thereby advancing the development and adaptation of home grown AI and Robotic tools.
Priority must be given to securing critical AI and Robotics Raw materials such as Lithium used for the production of durable Robotic Batteries as well as other important raw materials like Goshenite, Lead, Steel and many others. used in the production of AI tools and Robotic Machines.
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